Month: August 2015

Greetings, folks! Just posted a new episode over on the BH youtube channel. This one’s all about the history and stories behind “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” by Homer. It’s a story that has a little of everything! Warriors! Archaeologists! Papyrus! You name it!

You can watch the episode on YouTube by clicking on the title card below. You can also listen to it in convenient podcast form by searching for “Bookworm History” in the iTunes store. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Greetings, folks! Just posted a new episode up on the Youtube channel. This one’s all about the history and scenery of the Dover Plains Stone Church, a fantastic little spot in eastern Duchess County, NY. Check it out by clicking the title card below!

While putting things together for a new Hometown History episode (spoilers!) I came across this postcard from 1921. The episode will explain more about where the postcard is from but what caught my interest was less about the image on the front and more about the writing on the back.

The text reads:

“My Dear Sister:-

Expected a letter from you. I am located here for a few days, but expect to go home tomorrow. It is a very lovely place here. I hope you have made a decision by now. Let us here from you very soon.

Lovingly Sis,

Clara”

What was the decision Miss Gertrude Smith was putting off making? What brought Clara to Dover Plains? Why was handwriting so much more elegant in the 20’s than it is now? (I already know the answer that one, but that’s ok)

Incidentally, if anyone out there knows who these folks are please let me know!

Welcome to the inaugural Bookworm History podcast! Today we’re delving into the real world behind Christopher Marlowe’s immortal “Doctor Faustus”, the brilliant-but-bored German magician who sold his soul to the devil. Before he was ever immortalized by Marlowe, Faust was a real person (although a pretty cut-rate magician who probably didn’t sell his soul to the devil). Magic! Demons! A maddeningly non-linear story of publication! All that and more!

Greetings, folks! I just uploaded a brand new episode of Bookworm History over on the YouTube channel all about the story behind Christopher Marlowe’s infamous “Doctor Faustus”. I learned a ton while putting this together and I hope you will, too! Click the title card below to check it out, and, as always, thanks for stopping by!

P.S.- This website and all the stories contained therein can now be accessed simply by going to bookwormhistory.com! Very exciting!